Portrait of Asian Indian medical doctor standing outside hospital building

Americans for Prosperity Launches Health Care Reimagined Campaign

Apr 20, 2020 by AFP

Arlington, VA – Amid growing concern from the American public about the reliability of our health care system, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) today announced the launch of a nationwide campaign focused on making crucial reforms to ensure people have access to the care they need. The group is targeting reforms to help those impacted by COVID-19 and ensure the country is better prepared for a future outbreak. The multi-million dollar campaign includes advertising, digital outreach, lobbying, and grassroots engagement from AFP’s 2.2 million activists. AFP’s campaign details a positive vision for health care that focuses on facilitating immediate, meaningful improvements to America’s health care system.

A poll conducted last week by YouGov and AFP found that 83% of Americans want health care professionals to have more flexibility in providing health care as they and their patients see fit. View the survey questions here.

Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips issued the following statement:

“The COVID-19 crisis has exposed a tragic reality: America’s health care system actually stands in the way of doctors, nurses, and medical researchers helping people. It’s why the vast majority of Americans share our conviction that it is critical to empower medical professionals and innovators with the flexibility to get people the care they need. The current discussion on health care misses the point. Medicare for All and similar proposals only double down on the failures of a system that ties the hands of patients and caregivers. They don’t fix the problems that this crisis has revealed.

“America should take a different approach—one that removes barriers to innovation in our health care system and empowers health care professionals to save more lives. We’re starting to get a glimpse of what’s possible. As policymakers have temporarily waived some of the most harmful restrictions preventing health care from reaching those most in need, innovators have begun to rapidly develop testing options, telehealth has allowed patients to see doctors online, doctors and nurses are treating more patients, and hospitals are adding life-saving medical equipment. These waivers are saving people’s lives right now. Making them permanent will save people’s lives in the next crisis, too. It’s a critical first step toward re-imagining our health care system to focus on empowering medical professionals to help patients get the care they need. And it’s why we’re investing heavily in these grassroots efforts to elevate the voices of millions of Americans across the country who have seen what works, and what doesn’t.”

Background:

A poll conducted last week by YouGov and Americans for Prosperity found that after respondents were presented with information about emergency measures, Americans support changes to our health care system that grant medical professionals greater flexibility in providing care and responding to COVID-19. Click here to view the full results.

58% Of Americans agree health care rules and regulations previously prevented doctors, nurses, and medical professionals from helping people.
83% Of Americans agree America’s health care professionals should have more flexibility to provide health care as they and their patients see fit.
78% Of Americans support relaxing health care restrictions to give more flexibility to doctors, nurses, and researchers who are fighting coronavirus.

AFP has identified four immediate policy priorities that need fast action to ensure patients continue to get access to the care they need: (1) Making telehealth an option for all Americans and removing occupational licensing and scope of practice restrictions that prevent doctors and nurses from seeing patients; (2) making permanent the recent moves by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that enable rapid deployment of testing, treatment, and prevention; (3) letting patients access promising experimental treatments that have already been proven safe; and (4) empaneling a BRAC-style commission to make additional reforms that remove similar restrictions to further strengthen America’s health care system.

AFP engages activists in all 50 states. In recent years, the group has successfully advocated for health care reforms to improve patient access in states across the country.

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